Arab once struggling across line in Olympic venue (9)

I believe the answer is:

barcelona

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'olympic venue' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both locations as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'arab once struggling across line' is the wordplay.
'struggling' indicates anagramming the letters (the letters struggle or wriggle into a new form).
'across' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'line' becomes 'l' (used when specifying particular lines from a poem).
'arab'+'once'='arabonce'
'arabonce' is an anagram of 'barceona'.
'barceona' enclosing 'l' is 'BARCELONA'.

'in' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for barcelona that I've seen before include "coastal city" , "9/11 [OLYMPIC VENUE]" , "Spanish city and seaport" , "Span. City" , "Largest Spanish port" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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